Clause 68 - Designations under section 67: further considerations
Housing Bill
2:30 pm
Mr Edward Davey (Shadow Secretary of State for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Local Government & the Regions; Kingston and Surbiton, Liberal Democrat)
I beg to move amendment No. 290, in
clause 68, page 46, line 2, leave out 'an' and insert 'a more'.
For the benefit of the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr. Hayes) I should say that I have brought my passport along: the record of our recent discussions might help you to understand that comment, Mr. Pike.
The amendment is intended to ensure that the test in subsection (4)(a) is high enough. The Government are saying that local housing authorities cannot make a designation under clause 67 to selectively licence an area unless they have
''considered whether there are any other courses of action available to them (of whatever nature) that might provide an effective method of achieving the objective or objectives that the designation would be intended to achieve''.
I want us to think about whether authorities should be required to consider whether there is ''a more'' effective method of achieving those objectives.
Situations could arise in which there are alternatives to going down the selective licensing route, but it might be difficult to ensure that one of them is the best route to go down. I am trying to help the Government, and thus local authorities. I want local authorities to be able to say, ''Well, there other ways of meeting these objectives, but they are not as effective as, or more effective than, the licensing route.'' It is a small point, but it is in keeping with the spirit of what the Government are trying to do.